Yekaterinburg - Metropolis between Europe and Asia

Yekaterinburg is an important industrial and university city at the foot of the Ural Mountains in Russia. The city is located just 40 kilometres east of the imaginary border separating Europe and Asia. The Ural Mountains are the actual border. There is a two hour time difference between Yekaterinburg and Moscow and five hours between Yekaterinburg and central Europe.

The city, with 1.3 million residents, is the fourth largest in Russia, following Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk. Several consulates general have been established in the city now, including those from Germany and the USA. The most famous historical tourist attraction in the city is the "Church on Blood in Honour of All Saints Resplendent in the Russian Land". It is located on the site where former Czar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks. The house was removed in 1977. It is now a pilgrimage site for Czarist supporters.

In Yekaterinburg there are also other Russian style cathedrals that are worth a visit, including the Holy Trinity Cathedral, where Rasputin once served as monk. The architectural style of socialist classicism can be noted in the structure of both the city hall and the university. Modern landmarks include the unfinished television tower and the circus building.